Over 5,200 businesses pledged to meet net-zero carbon targets by 2050, as proclaimed at the 2022 UN Conference on Climate Change. While declaring these commitments is a great step, organizations are also challenged with ensuring the benefits and outcomes of these initiatives are acknowledged and broadcast to the public. While 84% of C-suite executives believe in the importance of sharing stories about their ESG and social impact initiatives beyond an annual report, 45% believe their companies are not talking enough about those initiatives.
So, what can organizations do to promote their climate initiatives in a way that aligns with their values? Let’s take a look at 3 ways this can be achieved:
Craft a Compelling Narrative
Narrative messaging relies on the story to communicate a brand’s presence to future customers and conveys how a brand looks, feels, sounds, and acts in the world. A powerful campaign begins with a meaningful story, but this message may not land in the right hands without a proper consistency and distribution plan. The narrative is more than just the words on the page.
Gildan’s Made With Respect™ campaign exemplifies how narrative messaging is not only textual, but visual. The Made With Respect™ landing page tells the story of Gildan’s historical commitments and future ambitions, highlighting their core pillars of action. Coupled with language about their ESG initiative, the page features revamped branding that demonstrates the company’s flexibility by scrolling through a list of the initiative’s values, including human rights, the environment, and inclusion.
Leverage Technology
Innovation and eco-conscious business practices go hand-in-hand. Organizations using digital and emerging media are significantly more likely to drive recognition and engagement for their programs. The Clinton Global Initiative leveraged a virtual reality film to promote the Inside Impact: East Africa campaign. The immersive visual experience takes viewers on a journey following President Clinton’s first-hand experience meeting with the people behind CGI initiatives in Kenya and Tanzania. Users are transported to a place they otherwise could not experience firsthand, both demonstrating the organization’s forward-thinking and innovative practices while also resonating with the end-user to feel connected to a tangible cause.
Partner with Socially-Driven Organizations
Collaboration with like-minded organizations is another way to promote a brand’s climate initiative. One of the prominent avenues for these collaborations is conferences dedicated to sustainable practices and eco-friendly innovations. By either sponsoring such events or actively participating as attendees, brands can engage in knowledge exchange, gain insights into the latest climate solutions, and showcase their commitment to a greener future. These conferences often serve as melting pots of ideas and innovations, connecting brands with potential collaborators, innovators, and even influencers in the sustainability sector.
Beyond conferences, brands can also actively join or support causes and movements dedicated to environmental protection. This community provides brands an opportunity to transform their climate-positive rhetoric into tangible actions. By actively participating in tree-planting campaigns, beach clean-ups, or supporting renewable energy projects, for instance, brands can concretely demonstrate their dedication to the planet.
Elevate Your Climate Initiative with Matter Unlimited
As a social good marketing agency, Matter Unlimited is not only dedicated to elevating an organization’s action on climate initiatives – we are also active participants. As a certified B Corp and Clean Creative Approved, we understand the paths and struggles companies committed to environmental action face, and we want to do our part by breathing life into your climate initiative through strategic brand strategy, storytelling, technology, and public relations. Contact us to get started on promoting your purpose today!
